LGBTQI+Queer in Denver
Laid-back, welcoming, and oh-so-hipster: Gay Denver is one of the biggest up-and-coming gaycation destinations in the USA
Denver is frequently named amongst the most gay-friendly cities in the US. While the gorgeous Rocky Mountains are right on the doorstep, visitors to Denver will find a diverse selection of travel activities – not to mention plenty of arts, culture, and outdoor venues. With a very active and visible LGBTQ+ community – Colorado offers more attractions than you could ever see in one visit.
Attractions in Denver
We highly recommend getting out and discovering all of the glorious nature right on Denver’s doorstep. If you opt to stay in the ‘Mile High’ City there is plenty to keep you entertained during your stay — regardless of whether you’re in town for a day, week, month or even longer.
Top Highlights in Denver
Craft Beer – If you love microbreweries and all things hoppy, check out Goldspot Brewing Co. or Lady Justice. If you happen to be outside of the city, Mountain Toad Brewing in Golden, still holds the reins of the longest standing queer-owned brewery in Colorado.
Denver Botanic Gardens & Cheesman Park – The Denver Botanic Gardens cover a 23-acre botanical garden in the Cheesman Park neighborhood. Cheesman Park centers on its namesake green space, with expansive lawns, biking trails, and regular LGBTQ+-oriented events.
Mile-High-Bike-Tours – Whether you’re going that first mile or the last, ebikes are a fun, affordable way to get around town. Explore all of the cities’ top historic buildings, architectural masterpieces, art districts and outdoor venues. Denver’s citywide partnership with Uber, Lime, and Lyft make it easy to find an e-bike and hop on. If you’re looking for a tour of the city, take tips from a guide through Mile High Bike Tours.
Santa Fe Art District - Art galleries, theaters, museums, murals—all representing hundreds of artists at any given time. From monthly First Friday Art Walks to summer outdoor films and plenty of art exhibits, Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe attracts visitors through events every day of the year. Check out Petals & Pages, a bookstore, flower shop and community space hosting open mics, and seasonal parties. Or head over to Townhall Collaborative, a women-owned cocktail bar, with weekly events and live music for a nightcap.
Annual LGBTQI+ Events in Denver
Denver PrideFest – The biggest event on the Denver PRIDE calendar. The official week-long party celebrates the role of the LGBTQ+ community in making Denver what it is today, and is entirely worth planning a trip around. Held annually in June, the highlights are the massive street festival, a vibrant parade, and all the club parties – but there are plenty of events throughout the entire month!
Black Pride Colorado - Starting in 2021, Colorado community members and activists felt the need for a Pride celebration that focuses on colorful history of queer rights. Thus, Black Pride CO was born. Held during the weekend leading up to Juneteenth, Black Pride starts off with an annual gala and continues with events and entertainment all weekend. (June 9th-16th)
Pikes Peak Pride Fest – Head on out to Colorado Springs in for another fun and fabulous day in the sun! Or if you’re in Denver long-term, why not go to both. Celebrate Pride with the Colorado Springs community. There will be two full days of vendor booths, food trucks, beer garden and high energy entertainment to include a fabulous parade on Sunday.
Rocky Mountain Regional Gay Rodeo – Held annually in July, Founded in 1981, the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association is the longest continuous running gay rodeo in the United States, these events can also be found all over the US, including Austin and Las Vegas.
Aurora PRIDE Aurora Pride is the annual celebration of Aurora Colorado's LGBTQI+ community at Aurora Reservoir. This event is usually held in August and closes out the summer PRIDE season. Come and enjoy the only beachfront Pride event in the Rocky Mountain region.
Festival for Life: AIDS Walk – An annual event held in August where the community comes together to raise money for an AIDS cure. This outdoor event will include the annual Diva Dash, a volleyball tournament presented by the Colorado Gay Volleyball Association, free health screenings, and vendors.
LGBTQI+ Nightlife in Denver, Colorado
As the largest city for over 600 miles in every direction, Denver attracts members of the LGBTQ+ community from all over, resulting in a vibrant and thriving nightlife scene in Denver
X-Bar – A staple of Denver LGBTQIA+ Nightlife for over 10 years! Part club, part patio area where you hang out where you can drink, laughs, and dance. In the evenings, X-Bar can get pretty busy with DJs, drag shows & go-go dancers.
Blush & Blu – The last lesbian bar in Denver, enjoy pool tables, burlesque shows, Underground Poetry, Karaoke and more. **
Charlie’s Denver – A sickening country-western mixed with Top 40 dance club with fun a pumping dance floor, and a no-attitude crowd. Come for the go-go dancers, stay for the dance floor, drag shows, and drink specials. You might also know them from their locations in Phoenix, Chicago or Las Vegas— but this is the original.
Hamburger Mary’s Denver – The LGBTQ+-friendly burger chain Hamburger Marys that we fell in love with in Tampa and Long Beach has now made it to the Mile-High City. Plus, the food is delicious, and there is drag bingo, trivia + live music weekly! They have drag shows every weekend, reservation is a MUST, easier to walk into these weekday events
Karaoke at Hamburger Mary’s - Every Thursday!
Tracks – A decades-old gay club/dance hall with multiple floors, weekly theme parties, and drag shows in Denver that are to die for! Even after all these years, Tracks is still one of the most popular gay clubs in town.
COLORADO PRIDE EVENTS 2024
DENVER UNDERGROUND PRIDE June 8th-June 9th 2024
Seventh Circle Music Collective is a grassroots, all-ages venue known for its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, where local and emerging bands take the stage.
PIKES PEAK PRIDE June 8-9, 2024
Celebrate Pride in the Colorado Springs! Pikes Peak Pride 2024 is a community event expected to gather thousands of visitors together from across the state and Pikes Peak Region into downtown Colorado Springs. There will be two full days of vendor booths, food trucks, beer garden and high energy entertainment to include a fabulous parade on Sunday. This is a free event! MORE INFORMATION
PARADE: Sunday, June 9, 11:00am. Acacia Park to Pioneer Museum via Tejon Street
BLACK PRIDE June 13, 2024
HAPPY HOUR AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Join us with Black Pride Colorado and Vivent Health as we celebrate the month of Pride at MCA Denver! Enjoy an extended happy hour June 13 from 5-9PM with specialty cocktails & mocktails, music by DJ Big Styles, and get your black and white portrait with photographer MaryV!
The galleries will be open for you to check out our exhibitions, Critical Landscapes: Selected Works from the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection and Gala Porras-Kim: A Hand in Nature.
This event is 21+.
**A portion of ticket sales will benefit Youth Seen**
Full list of events:
https://blackpridedenver.com/elementor-2557/
QUEER ADJACENT EVENTS
Outside Festival, Civic Center June 1–2, 2024
Celebrate the outdoors at the first-ever Outside Festival. The event will feature live music, adventure films, thought-provoking speakers, immersive experiences, the latest outdoor gear and more.
Indie 102.3 Pride Party June 6, 2024
Brought to you by Indie 102.3's LGBTQ+ Show, SERVE IT! Hosted at MEOW WOLF Convergence Station. Featuring Empress Of and performances by Demigod | Drag Performances by Mikki Miraj | Afterparty with Hex Kitten. Ages 16+ Requires tickets to enter.
Denver Fringe Festival June 6th- June 9th
The Denver Fringe Festival is an open-application festival that supports bold, progressive arts and diverse voices in all genres of performance arts. Fringe is unjuried, uncensored, unconventional. It’s unexpected, unparalleled and unlike anything you’ve experienced before. It’s diverse artistic voices in all forms of performing arts, and it’s accessible to everyone. Enjoy a weeks-long annual performing arts festival in Denver!